MANKATO, Minn.: The opening day of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference softball tournament presented more than its fair share of surprises. The first, unfortunately for the Yellowjackets and their faithful, was a loss to St. Scholastica, a team they swept during the regular season, in the day's second game. Immediately following that contest, Northwestern scored the biggest upset of the day, upending a Bethany Lutheran team that went undefeated in conference play and was the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

In other words, anything can happen, and in this tournament's case, it was happening.

With the loss in the opener, the Yellowjackets were forced into the elimination bracket, meaning they had to win to stay in the tournament. Their second game of the day pitted them against Minnesota Morris, the No. 5 seed and the team the Yellowjackets swept in the final games of the regular sesaon. A strong offensive effort, particularly by the top of the order was a perfect complement to the pitching of Ashley Taipale (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) and the Yellowjackets were indeed able to stay alive, defeating the Cougars 9-3.

The win means the Yellowjackets (18-18) will live to fight another day, and in a twist will be playing the top-seeded Vikings in an elimination game Friday afternoon.

Runs came early and often for the Yellowjackets, as they jumped out to a big lead early. Taipale followed a one-out Alayna Tulip (Arcadia, Wis./Arcadia) single with a double to center to put a pair of runners in scoring position for Gabby Gidley (Superior, Wis./Superior). The senior catcher of the Yellowjackets had a big game at the plate and started the scoring with a single to right, plating Tulip. Taipale then scored on a sacrifice fly before Gidley scored on a Davriana Horvath (Esko, Minn./Esko) infield single to give the Yellowjackets a 3-0 lead after one.

They would add to it in the second, and once again it was started by Gidley. This time she doubled to center field to score Tulip from second. Then with two runners in scoring position Bailey Armstrong (Scandia, Minn/Forest Lake) singled up the middle, driving in Gidley and Taipale to make it a 6-0 lead.

In the third the Yellowjackets would add two more, getting an RBI-single up the middle from Gidley and a single through the left side by Armstrong to push the lead to 8-0.

Morris would finally break through in the fourth, scoring a pair of unearned runs after a Yellowjacket error to cut the lead to 8-2. The Yellowjackets would get one of those runs back, however, in the bottom of the inning. Tiffany Kirk (McHenry, Ill./McHenry East) drove a single through the left side, sending pinch runner Amelia Leger (Andover, Minn./Andover) home to make it a 9-2 game. Morris would add another run in the sixth and did have a small rally in the seventh, but it was too little, too late and the Yellowjackets earned the 9-3 win.

The Yellowjackets pounded out 19 hits in the game, with Kirk, Tulip, Gidley, and Armstrong all having three. Horvath, Taipale and Bailey Kinnunen (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) added two hits each. Gidley and Armstrong each drove in three runs.

After a rocky outing earlier in the day Taipale recovered in the circle, going the distance to earn the win and even her record at 8-8 on the year. She allowed three runs (two earned) on 11 hits. She struck out three.